Can moondust or sunlight reflection mitigate the effects of global warming?

Scientists are exploring if scattering moondust or deviating sunlight can help cool the Earth and mitigate the effects of global warming, according to two separate studies by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and the University of Utah and The Degrees Initiative.

Chemo for global warming: Nonprofit research organization The Degrees Initiative is working together with the United Nations’ The World Academy of Sciences to disburse upward of USD 900k to 81 scientists in the Global South to study solar radiation modification. The process — likened to chemotherapy for global warming — involves reflecting sun rays back into space by releasing aerosols like sulfur dioxide in the upper atmosphere to reduce the effects of climate change. It’s unclear how or whether solar shields would affect solar energy assets.

Creating a shield with lunar dust: The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian andthe University of Utah study is exploring the potential of using moondust to create a shield in Earth’s orbit. The idea — triggered by observing how rings around host stars intercept light from the central star and then radiate it — posits that scientists could create a sun shield by placing astronomical dust in an orbit between the sun and the Earth, potentially blocking a large amount of sunlight without significant mass.